KARACHI: Since the beginning of the month of March the local women’s movement, colloquially known as the Aurat March, has once again become the centre of attention in the mainstream and social media newsfeed. The same old debate is raging again as to whether it is advancing the women’s movement, or if it is detrimental to the very cause of this struggle.

Aurat March saw its debut on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2018. Young, progressive feminists including urban planners, academics, social workers, human rights activists and working-class women initiated the march. It initially received endorsement from the Awami Workers’ Party, the Lady Health Workers Association, and multiple women’s rights organisations.

Through Aurat March, the women’s rights movement was advocated through the lens of ‘legal empowerment.’ This march gradually turned into a social movement with a ‘long-term’ plan; the solution to existing problems were somewhat institutionalised to counter the changing political tide and extirpate “harmful cultural” norms.

Now, it’s the fifth Aurat March which is aiming for the ‘Struggle for law reform and women’s rights’ in the country. The chapters of all cities are independent but there is definitely a coordination and synergy between all of them. All chapters operate independently and they set their own manifesto and agendas. Karachi’s women’s rights activists have written a manifesto to articulate their demands to the government and Pakistani society. Organisers of the march stated that this year, we are marching for our ‘Mehnat and mazdoori’ — as artisans, as domestic and sanitation workers, as farmers, and as women, as the Khwaja Sira community — who maintain and manage society alongside others.

Muneeza, expressing opinion on behalf of the march’s organisers said, “We believe that human labour is at the soul and heart of creating and producing for society as a whole. We labour in factories, on farms, as home-based workers, in hospitals, on the streets, as sanitation workers and hawkers, in homes as domestic workers and caregivers, and as artisans and professionals. When it comes to being recognised and counted as workers, we are simply not counted.”

She added that women’s labour is discounted, unpaid, unprotected, and unfairly compensated. The manifesto says that the state provide social security and protection, not just in income support, but also in the form of minimum wage, health insurance, maternity leave, menstrual leave, prenatal confinement, nursing breaks, child-care facilities and postnatal care in all places of work through “unemployment support.”

She further said that through this, a significant shift can come about in the culture of placing the burden of emotional and physical labour related to child-rearing entirely on mothers. “Fathers will also be able and equally liable to take care of a child that is as much their responsibility as that of their spouse.”

Muneeza stated that the Lahore chapter has released the manifesto with a theme ‘Reimagining justice’ or ‘Asal insaf.’

The organisers say the manifesto has been drafted after extensive research and meeting with the communities affected by the issues. “The Aurat March Lahore demands more holistic reforms which seek to transform society and provide psychosocial support to survivors of violence as well as rehabilitation for the perpetrators. The rights of women in Pakistan have been a longstanding point. Violence, harassment, intimidation and discrimination experienced by women in the workplace as well as in public and private spaces are also under the spotlight.”

The Aurat March movement seeks both the introduction of new legislation as well as a wide range of broader legal reforms to existing laws, she clarified. “Despite its success in stirring up the debate and creating awareness about gender inequality in Pakistan, the organisers, on a wider scale, face significant challenges. It is believed that the Aurat March gains popularity due to the controversial slogans and the real cause is undermined. Every year, the Aurat March takes place and no one expects the response to the event to be anything less than controversial. A big chunk of society denounces the march’s activists and organisers as immoral or misguided, others see the movement as a form of Western cultural imperialism.”

Criticism of the march

Over the past four years, members of Pakistani society have claimed that the marchers are ‘elitists’ who exclude grassroots communities and “push a Western agenda.” Others have labelled the activists as a “foreign-funded threat to the traditional values of the country.”

Countering the response and prevailing negative perception about the slogans, Nayab Jan, a renowned social activist told Bol News, “In any movement, slogans are usually provocative. They shed light on the issue which society avoids discussing.” She believed that the negative reaction to slogans was obvious and that did not mean the slogans should be changed or disowned. “Slogans are supposed to be catchy and provocative. They must not be changed, specifically the ones which have become a part of discourse of the society.”

Jan thinks that slogans are meant to have something in them that makes people think better. “Secondly, slogans are individual expressions. Thousands of people join the Aurat March to express their feelings. The issues being highlighted in the march are very sensitive. So how does anyone see that the slogans would be less aggressive? The organisers cannot detain anyone from writing or expressing their emotions and issues to be highlighted. We can only make sure that there shouldn’t be any hate speech and the march should basically be observed within democratic [norms].”

Jan was of the view that the movement ought not to be opposed just on the basis of a few slogans. “We never meant it to be just about slogans. The opponents have made it just about slogans and it was a deliberate attempt to undermine the cause.”

Talking about the accomplishment of the Aurat March, she also said that the movement can’t bring a change overnight. “It needs to be calculated on immediate effect as well as in the long term.”

According to her, lawmakers are now prioritising issues highlighted in the march which is a very “good sign.” She believed that there should be a debate on the impact of the movement rather than only slogans. “The Aurat March provides a platform to common women to voice as well as vocalise their issues. Women from every walk of life come in the procession. Thus, a huge crowd strengthens every individual. Moreover, the local women’s march has become a community where women are being encouraged to live on their own terms. There are many internal resources like lawyers, social workers and activists to help each other which in itself is a huge accomplishment.”

Respect for societal values

On the other hand Asma Safeer, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Karachi Nazima, believes that according to the ideology of Pakistan and the Constitution, the citizens have the right to express their opinion. “But every citizen should also keep in mind that the ideology and adherence to the Constitution should not be affected. At the same time, it is important to uphold the moral values of the society so that it does not fall into disarray.”

She further said that “There must be limits to freedom in any way for the formation of society. Unruly societies bring destruction in every way. Our society has certain values and traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. The method of demanding rights in which morality is violated and which leads to chaos is by no means appropriate.”

According to her, there have been numerous movements for women in the past hundred years. “However, women are still in the same situation not only in Pakistan but also in developed countries.”

She thinks the problem of women who work in factories, mills, fields and orchards is “the most oppressed” and should also be considered. “Basic health issues, dual responsibilities at home and outside has made her life difficult. Moreover male unemployment, inflation, global economic conditions have all directly affected women. Men who do not work often allegedly take possession of a woman’s earnings which is also one of the biggest causes of domestic disputes and violence. The issues of our country are low wages and unfair distribution of resources, an overall oppressive system, lack of justice and corrupt rulers.”

Wealth is limited to a few families who have enslaved Pakistan and its people, she commented. “If the system changes, then there will be no need to ask for justice coming on the roads. The state is responsible for protecting the life, property and honour of every citizen.”

What do women say?

Sabreen Atiq, public relations officer: When the girls in my old office complained about being harassed by men in the office building, the building manager simply said “Aap ki larkiyaan uppar neeche bhi to bahut hoti hain”, referring to the basic human activity of the girls walking upstairs and downstairs in the office. This attitude by the manager reinforced the idea that if women in workplaces moved around freely, even in places considered safer than the streets, they were ‘destined to be harassed.’

We asked our HR manager about this who couldn’t respond because he too felt that we were the ones who had to change.

The same way when my former boss complained about how a man was staring at her while she waited for the elevator, she was told “Aap kapre hi aise pehnti hain.”

We continue to hold women responsible for men’s sexist behaviour whether it is at home or at work. They continue to push this narrative that men have no control over themselves and that women should know better and behave accordingly.

A woman, no matter how educated or independent, is still expected to depend on men in order to live with ‘dignity’ in our society. She has difficulty renting a place of her own, she still has to explain to others why she is choosing to remain single. Educated women are still forced to stay in bad marriages because they fear what will become of them if they get divorced.

I think Aurat March is important in a society like ours, mostly because we rarely get to see women come together and voice their opinions. Hundreds of women marching on the road while being protected by rows of policewomen is a powerful sight to me.

You may not have to listen to everything the women in the march say, but it’s harder to deny their existence and genuine struggles when they walk in unity for causes that affect their daily lives. The slogans in the march speak volumes about the need for women’s autonomy; I don’t see anything wrong with it. It is easier to malign women participating in the Aurat March than to look inwards and accept that there are serious issues with our treatment of girls.

Hina Mohsin, HR executive: Men in my life, be it be my father, brother or husband, provide me every opportunity and freedom which empowered me. I think I got more support being a woman from my peers.

Although the slogans were originated from real-life issues of our society, like honour killing and child marriage, the way they are portrayed shifts the focus completely from women’s rights and freedom to ‘unethical liberty,’ especially in a society like ours.

I definitely think that these slogans have undermined the ‘real cause’ and devalued our social, religious beliefs and cultural values too. No doubt I support men and women being in their limits but the march’s participants have completely twisted the facts, and the real purpose of the campaign has been derailed.

Sidra Dar, journalist: I have been a working woman for the past 10 years. I have years’ long experience and exposure as well. I am well educated and financially independent. Nevertheless, I have to face many challenges including discrimination just because of my gender. Our society is male-dominated in many areas. I have exposure to workplaces for years now and have encountered the situation which our household women do not.

Men in our society think that women should only be ‘home-oriented’ otherwise they lack virtue. Half of our population are women, how are we supposed to prosper if our contribution is not valued in its entirety?

As far as the change through movement is concerned, in my view, women get vocal and start demonstrating their issues. They have got the courage to come out of their homes to raise their voices against discrimination.

Moona Raheel, housewife: I think women are kept unaware of their rights. The rights already granted to women are often not promoted. Our society does not reflect our social values and so patriarchal thinking prevails. Only as women can we improve society. As women, we have a responsibility to train our children well and make them healthy and productive members of society.

Let your children understand from childhood that men and women have equal rights without making any discrimination between a son and a daughter.

In addition to this, there is a dire need for awareness. Not only women but also men are not aware of their rights that society grants to women. Aurat March is working for a good cause but they should keep it ‘decent’ so every woman like me too [is] willing to join the local movement.